Facts and Statistics

Facts and statistics are forms of supporting materials and/or evidence. "Supporting materials provide the substance of your speeches- the "stuff"that holds together, illustrates, clarifies, and provides evidence for your ideas" (Coopman 126). Facts and statistics are most efficient when given in persuasive speeches. Since the audience appeals to logic, using these types of evidence is particularly effective when establishing your credibility and strengthening your position. The use of facts and statistics are also helpful in informational and entertainment speeches. The supporting evidence has the power to make your speech both interesting and impacting. As long as your facts and statistics are accurate, credible, and properly tied in to your subject matter, they will usually have a positive effect on your speech and your audience. Although facts and statistics are an extremely helpful tool in preparing and delivering a speech, there are a couple situations in which  utilizing them can actually be detrimental to your presentation. If your sources are not credible or are not properly researched it can not only ruin the credibility of your speech, but can lead your audience to not trust you as a speaker and authority on your topic. Another situation in which facts and statistics could be detrimental is if you overload your audience with too much supporting evidence. In doing so the audience may lose interest and the evidence would go in one ear and out the other, rendering it ineffective. So it is important to use your facts and statistics wisely, making sure to use enough to support your topic, yet not so much that your topic becomes drowned out.